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Alonso pleased to link up with Poyet

New Sunderland signing Marcos Alonso says the chance to work with Black Cats’ head coach Gus Poyet was a selling point for his move to Wearside.

The 23-year-old left back has joined Sunderland on a loan deal until the end of the season from Serie A outfit Fiorentina and will be available for the Black Cats’ FA Cup with Budweiser tie against Carlisle United.

And the former Spanish youth international says that he is hoping to learn from Sunderland’s Uruguayan head coach.

“The head coach is giving me a very good opportunity and I’m just very happy to be here and now I’ll do my best to help the team,” Alonso told SAFSee.

“He’s very good for me. He speaks Spanish so I understand him very well and also he did great as a manager at Brighton - he played very good football.

“He has so many good experiences from his time at Chelsea and Tottenham – it’s great to work with someone with that much experience and I will try to learn as much as I can.”

Alonso spent three seasons with Bolton Wanderers between 2010 and 2013 – two of which were in the Barclays Premier League.

And the former Real Madrid youth, who won Bolton’s Player of the Year award in 2013, believes his time in England will benefit him as he looks to settle in on Wearside immediately.

“It’s always good [to have experience],” he added. “It’s not the first time I’m going to play in the Barclays Premier League so I don’t think I need to get used to anything – I just will play.”

Alonso starred as the Trotters defeated Sunderland 2-0 in the FA Cup with Budweiser at Stadium of Light last season, though he says he was impressed by the atmosphere at the Black Cats’ 49,000-capacity home.

“The stadium is great and also the fans - when I played here [with Bolton] the atmosphere was incredible,” he explained.